AN: Thank to Rachy Babes and Kiraclara for your kind comments and to everyone who has set an alert on this (not named as alerts aren't public like comments). Hope you continue to enjoy.
Ianto's brain was having an argument with itself. One part was trying to drag him back to consciousness, the other part was resolutely trying to keep him in happy oblivion.
We need to regain consciousness and figure out what's happened.
The fact that we are unconscious probably means that we don't want to know.
I'm going to wake us up now.
Oh, please don't, I like it here.
Ianto groaned and blinked groggily. He was lying on his side and was instantly aware that his hands were cuffed behind his back. He opened his eyes and turned his head just in time to see three guns being cocked and aimed at him.
Oh.
See? I really wish you hadn't woken us up.
Maybe we could just pass out again?
Now you're seeing things my way.
Ianto's eyes rolled back in his head and darkness claimed him again.
Jay sat in her office staring out of the window, lost in thought. Her work remained untouched on the desk and a soldier held her usual place in the corner of the room.
A knock sounded on her open door, pulling Jay out of her reverie. "Come in."
Another black-clad soldier, mirroring the one already in the room, walked in. "He's awake and asking to see you Ma'am."
Jay had long since given up laughing at the inappropriate honorific, so she simply stood and followed the soldier out.
'Asking to see her' turned out to be poetic license on the part of the soldier. Approaching the room where Ianto was being held she could already hear him shouting.
"Where the fuck is she? Jay! Jay? Come and fucking face me while I'm conscious. Jay? I know you're here. Jay!"
Jay stood back as a soldier opened the door before walking calmly into the room. Ianto, still cuffed, threw himself off the bed and hurtled toward her. Jay stood her ground, grinning at him, impassive while two of the three soldiers in the room rushed forwards to grab him. Ianto was pushed back onto the bed and all the guns in the room were trained on him. He ignored the weapons and glared at Jay, his eyes burning into hers.
"Where is he? What have you done to Jack?"
"He's safe, alive and at home I assume."
"And where am I?"
"Not at home."
"Where?" The shouting subsided, Ianto's voice was now a low growl.
"You're at the Time Agency's training barracks. You've been recruited."
"But I told you, I don't want to work for you. I work for Torchwood."
"We don't always get what we want Ianto. I'll be back when you've calmed down."
Jay left the room, motioning for the soldiers to come with her. As they shut and locked the door behind them, they could hear pounding against it.
"If he's as good as you say he is, someone should be in there within him, guarding him," one of the soldiers said anxiously.
"He is as good as I say he is and that's exactly why he doesn't need watching now. He won't make any rash attempts to escape until he knows more about where he is," Jay returned.
The pounding stopped.
"See?" Jay said to the soldiers, before turning and walking away.
The next day Jay was in her office resolutely pretending to work and ignoring the soldier in the corner again. She hadn't been back to see Ianto, though apparently the shouting had stopped. There was a knock at the door which made her jump.
"Come in."
One of the soldiers on detail to watch Ianto entered. "Third meal he's refused Ma'am."
Jay sighed, "Let me."
She stood and the soldier followed her out of the office and down the corridors. Another soldier stood outside Ianto's closed door with a tray of food in his hands. Jay took it from him and let herself into the room followed by the two soldiers.
Ianto was sat on the bed, leaning against the wall. One arm was cuffed flush to the wall, the other was also cuffed but in a longer restraint. It gave him enough le-way that he would be able to feed himself, but without being able to reach the other cuff.
Jay walked over and sat on the end of the bed, the tray on her lap. She lifted the spoon – she had made sure that he was not given a knife or fork – and lifted a portion of a green mass to her mouth. She chewed and looked at Ianto.
"Tastes a bit like potato."
She tore off a sliver of meat and popped in her mouth, grinning. "I know it's a cliché, but it really does taste like chicken."
Using her fingers again, she put one each of the orange, yellow and darker green strips into her mouth.
"These are revolting, but full of iron and nutrients. Like a cross between a parsnip and brussel sprouts."
Ianto had been watching her carefully through her whole performance. "What are you doing?" he finally asked.
"Well, I know you would want to eat because you'll be wanting to keep your strength up for your escape attempts. So refusing your food isn't some childish point you are trying to make. I therefore assume you are worried that we are trying to poison or drug you. As you can see, it is neither or I wouldn't have eaten it. Though when you taste those veggies you may with that we were poisoning you."
Jay took the tray off her lap and slid it across to Ianto. He gave it one last suspicious look before picking up a piece of the meat and putting it into his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully and slowly.
"Hmm. It really does taste like chicken." He raised an eyebrow, then continued to eat in silence, carefully avoiding Jay's steady gaze as she watched him. Finishing the meal he pushed the tray away. Jay reached for it and Ianto's hand snapped out, grabbing her wrist, staring her in the eye.
Guns clicked behind Jay, but she waved them down with her free arm. "Stand down," she barked. Ianto didn't take his eyes off Jay, but he could see the guns hadn't been lowered.
"Doesn't look like your pets take instruction very well," he said.
"They worry about me," Jay returned with just as much snipe in her voice.
"Why am I here?" His grip on her wrist didn't relax.
"I told you. You've been recruited."
"And I told you, I don't want to be recruited."
"I know. That's why the chains are necessary."
Ianto yanked on Jay's wrist bringing her closer to him. "Why?" he growled.
"Because I need you. You have unique skills that I need. It's just one mission."
"One mission?" They were so close Jay could feel his breath on her face as they spoke and the air seemed to crackle between them.
"Yes. You stay here at the facility where you will receive full and intensive Time Agent training over the next few weeks. Then, when the time is right, you will help us on one mission."
"And then you return me to Torchwood?"
"Then, if you still want to go back, we will return you to Cardiff."
Jay moved suddenly and pulled her wrist from Ianto's grasp, grabbing the tray with her other hand and retreating backwards in one move. She started towards the door.
"Jack will find me, you know that," Ianto called from behind her, his voice strong and defiant.
Jay paused and turned to face him again. "No, he won't," she replied.
Ianto thought he saw a brief glimpse of sadness flash in her eyes, before her face became stoic again.
"Your training starts tomorrow."
Jay turned again and left the room, followed by the soldiers and the door clicked shut. Alone again, anger and frustration boiled inside Ianto and he yanked fruitlessly at the chains that bound him.
But if there was one thing Ianto had it was patience. He was starting to realise that they didn't intend to hurt him, not yet. They clearly needed him. And so, Ianto resolved, he would eat his meals, build his strength, take any training they offered him, bide his time and observe. Then, when the time was right, he would strike. And Jay would see exactly what happens when you piss off Ianto fucking Jones.
Jay didn't bother going back to her office to stare blankly at her work again, but instead headed straight for her room.
The ever-present soldiers that roamed the facility didn't, at least, come into her room. Although slightly larger than the main barrack rooms, it was basic with a wet room off to one side; it was similar to the one Ianto was being held in.
She had nowhere to prepare food so instead she normally took the meals provided in the mess to her office. She had no desire to eat with the soldiers and the other Time Agents had all been sent off on missions. But tonight she didn't feel like eating at all.
Jay lay back on her bed, not even bothering to remove her boots, and sighed. Being the leader of the new Time Agency was not what she had expected.